USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 47720 — Evansville, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Evansville Regional Airport, IN (400 ft), 6 miles east.
Updated
In Evansville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Evansville Regional Airport, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 206 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 12
- Last snow
- February 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 10.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Evansville
Half of springs at Evansville Regional Airport, IN see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 22, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 19 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 70% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 29 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 93% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 225 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 90 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 12 days longer, to about April 16, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 15 and February 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 20°F | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Evansville Regional Airport, IN, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 47720 →Compare Evansville with another place →
Weather by month in Evansville
July is the warmest month at Evansville Regional Airport, IN, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 62% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,385 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 97% of the 125 Indiana stations. 38% of them (1,660) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 890. Precipitation totals 47.9 inches a year, most in April (5.1") and least in August (3.1"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 26 | 3.4 | 100% | 24 | 11 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 3.2 | 100% | 19 | 18 |
| Mar | 57 | 36 | 4.6 | 98% | 12 | 85 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 5.1 | 62% | 2 | 255 |
| May | 77 | 57 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 526 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 765 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 890 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 608 |
| Oct | 70 | 47 | 3.4 | 61% | 2 | 290 |
| Nov | 56 | 37 | 4.1 | 99% | 12 | 74 |
| Dec | 46 | 30 | 3.8 | 100% | 20 | 18 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Evansville Regional Airport, IN (400 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Evansville Museum, IN, 6 miles southeast of Evansville, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 29), a first frost 12 days later (November 10), a season 19 days longer.
When it snows in Evansville, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Evansville usually arrives around December 12, and the last of the season around February 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Evansville Regional Airport, IN, 5.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 47720
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 47720 is 6 miles from Evansville Regional Airport, IN, which stands at 400 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 47715 (Evansville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 47720 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.